Abstract not available

An investigation of the geological resources of the Southern Highlands was undertaken and over two hundred samples were collected and examined for possible use as stoneware ceramic ingredients. Thirty four of these samples were tested for possible use as clay body ingredients, while sixty five samples were selected for assessment as glaze ingredients. A wood fired kiln was built from firebricks produced from a local deposit of a white bauxite related material. Materials selected as a result of these tests were combined to create ceramic objects fired at stoneware temperatures. The most interesting result of the investigation was the discovery of a number of small weathered dykes and sills, samples from which were developed into workable ceramic clay bodies and glazes using a simple empirical testing procedure. A previously unknown excellent white translucent native porcelain stone or ‘bai tunze’ was discovered and developed into a workable porcelain body. Some iron stained porcelain bodies that ‘flashed’ red in the wood firing kiln were also developed. Exhibitions of the creative work produced were shown in the ‘Legge Gallery’, a Fine Art gallery in Sydney. Two critical reviews of those shows appeared in the magazine Craft Arts International, No. 64, 2005, pp 106-107 and The Journal of Australian Ceramics, Vol 46 #1 pp 21-24. Several papers were published detailing various aspects of the research: “The Search for Raw Materials in the Southern Highlands” in The Journal of Australian Ceramics, Vol 41#3, pp 22-23; “Flotation – A method of refining useful minerals”, in The Journal of Australian Ceramics, Vol 41#3, pp 24-25; “Magic Dirt” in The Journal of Australian Ceramics, Vol 46 #1 pp 76-79; “New work from an old landscape”, in Ceramics Technical, 24, 2007. pp 45-52;“From the ground up”, in Ceramic review, issue 222, 2006, pp 54-55. The research concludes that the Southern Highlands of New South Wales is geologically rich in suitable materials for the production of stoneware ceramics and that there are a few specific bai tunze like materials that are very interesting and have considerable aesthetic potential. The research determined that these bai tunze like materials are potentially capable of being developed into clay bodies and glazes of great beauty. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

An investigation of the geological resources of the Southern Highlands was undertaken and over two hundred samples were collected and examined for possible use as stoneware ceramic ingredients. Thirty four of these samples were tested for possible use as clay body ingredients, while sixty five samples were selected for assessment as glaze ingredients. A wood fired kiln was built from firebricks produced from a local deposit of a white bauxite related material. Materials selected as a result of these tests were combined to create ceramic objects fired at stoneware temperatures. The most interesting result of the investigation was the discovery of a number of small weathered dykes and sills, samples from which were developed into workable ceramic clay bodies and glazes using a simple empirical testing procedure. A previously unknown excellent white translucent native porcelain stone or ‘bai tunze’ was discovered and developed into a workable porcelain body. Some iron stained porcelain bodies that ‘flashed’ red in the wood firing kiln were also developed. Exhibitions of the creative work produced were shown in the ‘Legge Gallery’, a Fine Art gallery in Sydney. Two critical reviews of those shows appeared in the magazine Craft Arts International, No. 64, 2005, pp 106-107 and The Journal of Australian Ceramics, Vol 46 #1 pp 21-24. Several papers were published detailing various aspects of the research: “The Search for Raw Materials in the Southern Highlands” in The Journal of Australian Ceramics, Vol 41#3, pp 22-23; “Flotation – A method of refining useful minerals”, in The Journal of Australian Ceramics, Vol 41#3, pp 24-25; “Magic Dirt” in The Journal of Australian Ceramics, Vol 46 #1 pp 76-79; “New work from an old landscape”, in Ceramics Technical, 24, 2007. pp 45-52;“From the ground up”, in Ceramic review, issue 222, 2006, pp 54-55. The research concludes that the Southern Highlands of New South Wales is geologically rich in suitable materials for the production of stoneware ceramics and that there are a few specific bai tunze like materials that are very interesting and have considerable aesthetic potential. The research determined that these bai tunze like materials are potentially capable of being developed into clay bodies and glazes of great beauty. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The crystal chemistry of Fe doped mayenite (Ca12Al14-xFexO33) samples prepared using solid state and sol-gel synthesis techniques were compared. Five samples were prepared using solid state process with varying Fe concentration (x) where x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25 and 0.3; two sets of samples were made via the sol-gel, the first set was prepared for studying the amount of Fe substituted by varying the Fe concentration where x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 and the second set was prepared for studying the firing temperature and did not contain Fe additions (x = 0). Samples produced via the sol-gel method were more likely to be single phase with incorporation of Fe2O3 while solid state samples contained multiple phases over the same range of Fe2O3 substitutions. The refined lattice parameters, of samples prepared using both methods were observed to increase with increasing Fe concentration, suggesting Fe is replacing Al since Fe has larger ionic radii than Al. Samples prepared via the sol-gel method were found to be single phase at lower temperatures compared to samples prepared via solid state synthesis. Samples synthesized using the sol-gel method were found to have multiple phases when fired at 800 ˚C but were single phase when fired at 900˚C. In comparison, samples synthesized using traditional solid state techniques showed single phase when fired at a temperature of 1350˚C.

Single crystals with composition Lu3Al5O12 were synthesized using Czochralski and micro-pulling-down melt growth techniques. Polycrystalline ceramics of the same composition were synthesized by vacuum annealing of powders prereacted using a citrate-nitrate combustion technique and by spark-plasma-sintering of powders prereacted using a flame-spray-pyrolysis technique. Single crystals and polycrystalline ceramics are activated with Ce3+ or Pr3+ or doubly activated with Ce3+ and Tb3+ ions. Cerium-doped Czochralski-grown single crystals were compared to cerium-terbium codoped Czochralski-grown and micro-pulling down single crystals. Cerium-terbium codoped single crystals are also compared to similarly-activated polycrystalline ceramics sintered under vacuum using combustion-synthesized prereacted powders. X-ray diffraction analysis and fluorescence characterization were used to determine successful formation of single-phase LuAG and successful incorporation of doping species. Absorbance, fluorescence, radioluminescence, and scintillation decay analyses were used to compare synthesis processes and activator selection.

Single crystals with composition Lu3Al5O12 were synthesized using Czochralski and micro-pulling-down melt growth techniques. Polycrystalline ceramics of the same composition were synthesized by vacuum annealing of powders prereacted using a citrate-nitrate combustion technique and by spark-plasma-sintering of powders prereacted using a flame-spray-pyrolysis technique. Single crystals and polycrystalline ceramics are activated with Ce3+ or Pr3+ or doubly activated with Ce3+ and Tb3+ ions. Cerium-doped Czochralski-grown single crystals were compared to cerium-terbium codoped Czochralski-grown and micro-pulling down single crystals. Cerium-terbium codoped single crystals are also compared to similarly-activated polycrystalline ceramics sintered under vacuum using combustion-synthesized prereacted powders. X-ray diffraction analysis and fluorescence characterization were used to determine successful formation of single-phase LuAG and successful incorporation of doping species. Absorbance, fluorescence, radioluminescence, and scintillation decay analyses were used to compare synthesis processes and activator selection.

The crystal chemistry of Fe doped mayenite (Ca12Al14-xFexO33) samples prepared using solid state and sol-gel synthesis techniques were compared. Five samples were prepared using solid state process with varying Fe concentration (x) where x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25 and 0.3; two sets of samples were made via the sol-gel, the first set was prepared for studying the amount of Fe substituted by varying the Fe concentration where x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 and the second set was prepared for studying the firing temperature and did not contain Fe additions (x = 0). Samples produced via the sol-gel method were more likely to be single phase with incorporation of Fe2O3 while solid state samples contained multiple phases over the same range of Fe2O3 substitutions. The refined lattice parameters, of samples prepared using both methods were observed to increase with increasing Fe concentration, suggesting Fe is replacing Al since Fe has larger ionic radii than Al. Samples prepared via the sol-gel method were found to be single phase at lower temperatures compared to samples prepared via solid state synthesis. Samples synthesized using the sol-gel method were found to have multiple phases when fired at 800 ˚C but were single phase when fired at 900˚C. In comparison, samples synthesized using traditional solid state techniques showed single phase when fired at a temperature of 1350˚C.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 206-210). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

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